University of North Dakota’s Official News Source
National Scholarship Ceremony honors 21 award-winning UND student scholars and their mentors
By Elizabeth Bylander
On Thursday, Nov. 7, students, faculty and family gathered to honor the nationally recognized academic achievements of some of UND’s top students at the National Scholarship Ceremony in the Memorial Union. During the ceremony, 21 students and their faculty and staff mentors were recognized for winning some of the most competitive scholarships and fellowships in the country.
That the scholarships showcased at the event were given to these UND students was no accident, said Yee Han Chu, UND’s academic support and fellowship coordinator, during her introduction to the ceremony. Moreover, the campus community should understand that the win rate for these scholarships is between 5% and 33%, Chu added.
Applying for such scholarships can be intimidating, Chu said. She compared it to the Olympics, noting that to earn the awards, “there is a kind of training and dedication and purpose that all of them involved go through.”
Chu, who works with students who resolve to apply for these awards, knows that it takes a dedicated student to take the plunge — as well as, often, a faculty or staff member who’s willing to push the student to achieve their fullest potential.
Indeed, while the process often starts with a student who shows initiative, it also can begin with a mentor who sees the student’s potential.
One such mentor is Ryan Zerr, whom Chu credited as a great supporter of UND’s national scholarship efforts. Zerr is a professor and department chair of Mathematics at UND, as well as the associate vice president for Strategy & Implementation for the UND LEADS Strategic Plan.
In his own remarks at the ceremony, Zerr noted that mentors must “have a sense of the opportunities in their discipline and be able to help students see who they are and see themselves in those opportunities.”
Zerr then introduced one of his mentees: Thomas Iken, a student whom he says “had an inquisitiveness about him, a leadership.” These were traits that led Iken to opportunities such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program Grant he was recognized for at the ceremony.
Iken, a graduate student in Physics, also was mentored by Nuri Oncel, Physics professor and founder of UND’s Nanofoundry. Besides excelling in the classroom, Iken also has served as a STEM ambassador for the North Dakota Space Grant Consortium, a graduate intern at Northrop Grumman and a member of the 188th Army Band in the North Dakota National Guard.
During his own remarks to the audience, Iken said scholarships are special because “they force you to look back on yourself.”
The process of applying made Iken realize what he was truly meant to do, he said, as he reflected on his own start as an Astrophysics major before he switched to solid state physics.
Failure is a part of the process when applying for scholarships, Iken said.
“You make five or six revisions, and a month goes by, and you look back at your first draft. That was bad,” he said to laughter from the audience.
In fact, students may apply for multiple scholarships unsuccessfully; but until they stop trying, they have not failed, he suggested. And it’s through this process of trying and failing that students learn about themselves and their fields.
“It’s a conversation you have to have with yourself,” he said. “That introspective viewpoint, where you really can acknowledge what you’ve done, what you’ve achieved. It’s a great experience to have.”
Such self-reflection helps you identify what you want to do and the impact you plan to make in the future, Iken said.
“Remember that scholarships are not just financial support,” he said. “They are investments in your potential, in your future.”
Following Iken’s speech, each award winner, plus his or her advisor, was invited to the stage. A complete list of the students (and their mentors) who were recognized at the event is below.
>> Do you want to read more UND Today stories? Just hit the link or go to our home page to subscribe to our twice-weekly newsletter.
A UND freshman, Elizabeth Bylander is an intern with the UND Division of Marketing & Communications.
UND Today
UND Today is the University’s official online news source, supporting strategic goals that ensure UND’s place as the Chief Opportunity Engine and Premier Flagship in the Northern Plains.
Get the latest national UND news coverage or contact our media team.
UND News Hub
Press Release Archive
Check your inbox or spam folder now to confirm your UND Today subscription.
University of North Dakota
264 Centennial Dr Stop 4177
Grand Forks, ND 58202
UND.today@UND.edu
© 2024 University of North Dakota – Grand Forks, ND – Member of ND University System
